1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to illumination devices for illuminating opaque containers through bung hole orifices or similar access ports. More particularly, the present invention relates to illumination devices for containers that have access ports that terminate with pipe flanges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture and processing of pharmaceutical products, medical cultures, dairy products, and other materials that require a sanitary processing environment, it is common for materials to be stored and transported in sealed containers and other vessels. Such containers and vessels are commonly manufactured of stainless steel or some other material that can be readily cleaned and sterilized for reuse. A wide variety of such containers are manufactured by Eagle Stainless Container of Warminster, Pa.
A common feature of such stainless steel containers and vessels is the use of connector ports that terminate with a pipe flange. A pipe flange is a general term used to describe a circular flange that radially extends from the neck of the container or some other access port. The use of such connector ports on the containers makes it easier to connect the container to piping and other containers in a sterile fashion. To join any two flanged connections together, the two flanged connectors are placed in abutment so that the openings in the center of each of the flanges align. An O-ring or other sealer is placed between the two abutting flanges. The flanged connections are then clamped together with some type of pipe flange clamp. Examples of such clamps can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,768 to Palatchy, entitled Pipe Coupling Hinge, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,115 to Zimmerly, entitled Multi-Piece Pipe Clamp.
Many containers and vessels used in the pharmaceutical industry contain more that one access port, wherein each port terminates with a flanged connection. In many applications, vessels with multiple access ports are used when it is desirous to view the contents of the vessel. In such an application, at least one of the access ports is capped with an inspection glass. By looking through the inspection glass, a person can see the contents of the vessel. A problem associated with the use of inspection glasses is that the contents of the vessel are often dark. Consequently, in order to view the contents of the container, the interior of the container must be artificially illuminated.
If a vessel only has a single access port, the contents of the vessel must be illuminated and viewed through that same port. U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,608 to Papenmeier, entitled Inspection Glass Light and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,556 to Canty, entitled Lighting And Viewing Light, both show devices used for such an application. Such devices are commonly very expensive and are highly labor intensive to install and remove from vessels. It is not uncommon for such illumination devices to be bolted directly onto an access port of a vessel with numerous bolts. This makes the illumination device very difficult to remove when the vessel is to be cleaned and sterilized.
A simpler and less expensive approach to illuminating the contents of a vessel, involves the use of a vessel with at least two access ports. By using such a vessel, the contents of the vessel can be illuminated through one of the access ports, while the contents of the vessel are viewed through a second access port. In the prior art, the contents of the vessel are commonly illuminated with a portable flashlight that is shown into the vessel through an access port. The flashlight is commonly held in one hand at one access port as the person peers through the other access port. Since a person is using one hand to hold the flashlight in place, it is often difficult for a person to view the contents of a vessel and perform some other activity at the same time. For example, if a person is transferring material into a container, it would be difficult for that person to operate the transfer controls and hold the flashlight while simultaneously looking into the vessel.
Another problem with the use of flashlights is that it requires person to carry a working flashlight with them at all times when they wish to view the contents of a vessel. The face of the flashlight must also be held flush against the inspection glass in order for the light from the flashlight to properly pass through the inspection glass and illuminate the contents of the container.
A need therefore exists in the art for a low cost illumination device that can be connected to a vessel containing access ports with flanged connectors. Such an illumination device would eliminate the need of a person to hold and manipulate a flashlight when viewing the contents of a sealed vessel. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.